The invention relates to a trailer coupling. The trailer coupling—together with a trailer-side coupling element—is provided for forming a towing device that can be coupled. The trailer coupling represents the towing-device-side part, and the trailer-side coupling element represents the trailer-side part of the towing device.
Known trailer couplings embrace the hitch ball. The trailer coupling is mounted on the towing vehicle, for example by bolting. The hitch ball is fixed in position relative to the towing vehicle. For coupling of the trailer to the towing vehicle, a ball hitch tow bar of a trailer-side coupling element, for example of a pull rod, is placed on the hitch ball. Oftentimes, the coupled ball hitch tow bar, which essentially can include the shape of a spherical shell, is held down in a coupled position by a downholder which prevents a dislodging of the ball hitch tow bar from the hitch ball.
Known towing vehicles are configured for the coupling of different trailers and other tools or transport devices. Because space is limited at the trailer-side end of the towing vehicle, the space-efficient configuration of the trailer coupling is desirable.
Tools become increasingly larger and towing vehicles become increasingly more powerful, so that—for an efficient cultivation, for example of fields,—known trailer couplings are subjected to ever higher forces. Oftentimes, known trailer couplings have to be reinforced, i.e. they have to be built larger and with more material which disadvantageously leads to an increase of the own weight and the required space of the known trailer coupling. A further disadvantage when using this reinforcement of the trailer coupling can be that the maximal possible swivel angle between the trailer coupling and the trailer-side coupling element is decreased and, if applicable, a legally mandated minimal swivel angle, for example 20°, is hardly achieved.